http://www.therecord.com/news-story/3846703-region-considers-smart-cards-for-transit-users/
Region considers smart cards for transit users
WATERLOO REGION — The Region of Waterloo will spend $8.1 million converting to an electronic smart card system for transit users, primarily to offer ease of use between light rail and other transit systems.
"We are moving more progressively toward a cashless society," Coun. Sean Strickland said. "It's the way to go."
Starting in the fall of 2016, the region will phase out the current fare boxes and phase in a smart card. It will replace tickets, passes and paper transfers. Coins would still be accepted but bills may not.
Gethyn Beniston, a principal transit planner at the region, said it's time for a change. "When our current fare boxes were purchased, the World Wide Web wasn't in existence," he said.
Rapid transit, Grand River Transit and MobilityPLUS users could all use the card, which would be tapped on a reader as payment. Whether to go with a card that must be pre-loaded or one which bills back to a user's account has not yet been determined.
There are about a dozen Ontario cities currently using electronic fare systems, including Brantford, Brampton, Hamilton and Kingston.
What exactly the system will look like hasn't been determined yet.
Staff are gathering information, exploring what each of the estimated eight to 10 systems available have to offer, Beniston said.
One consideration will be the Presto system procured by the province and offered by Metrolinx, according to a staff report. It's in use in several cities.
The Presto system has seen its challenges.
According to media reports, ballooning costs to roll out the project in the Greater Toronto Area and issues with the system standing up to Canadian winters have raised concerns.
After the information-gathering stage, the region will either negotiate directly with Presto or issue a request for proposals.
Beniston said the biggest challenge will be integrating programs that offer discounts to frequent riders and special fares for those on income support with the new technology.
"There's enough options out there that we should get something that would offer plenty of flexibility right now and in the future," he said.
pdesmond@therecord.com